Primary school kids beat, kill four-year-old

A sombre atmosphere engulfed C Field Resettlement area in Nyamandlovu after a four-year-old boy was allegedly beaten to death by three boys aged eight and seven who accused him of beating up one of the boys' sister.

Ashley Nhlanhla Malinga died after the boys assaulted him using sticks. The names of the culprits are being withheld as they are all minors. Two are aged eight while the other is seven.

Police confirmed the incident which occurred at around 1PM on Monday.

It is alleged that the three minors assaulted the now deceased whom they accused of beating up one of the boys' four-year-old sister last week. The now deceased boy and the girl he allegedly assaulted were Grade Zero classmates.

A Chronicle news crew yesterday visited Nyamandlovu area and caught up with the parents of the three boys and the deceased's grandfather who were still at the local police station waiting for the boy's body which had been taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals for a post mortem.

Saul Ncube, the grandfather of the deceased, said the boys left school at their usual knock-off time for infants. One of the boys who had been away during the weekend was informed upon his return that the now deceased had beaten his friend and classmate's sister and the trio connived to beat him up.

"I'm deeply saddened by my grandson's death. The boys ordered the now deceased to undress and then assaulted him with sticks until he passed out while his cousin helplessly watched."

"The cousin, who is also my grandson doing grade zero, then ran home and told me that Ashley had been heavily assaulted by three boys and had 'fallen asleep' yet he was already dead," said Ncube.

He said the three boys were all his neighbours who were very close to his grandson.

"I'm really shocked by the boys' behaviour because they were close to my grandson and played together on a daily basis. We're all neighbours and the boys treated each other like brothers," said Ncube.

He said when his other grandson came home to report the assault, he did not panic as he told him that he left his cousin sleeping by the roadside.

"On realising it was almost sunset, I confronted two of the boys' mothers and told them what had been said by my other grandson."

Ncube said:"We then set out to look for him. We found him lying naked and dead by the roadside. He was bleeding from the head where he had sustained two deep cuts. The boy showed signs that he had been dead for some hours."

He said they covered the body and called some neighbours and the headman who then reported the matter to the police.

One of the eight-year-old boys' mother was in tears as she tried to narrate how her son had contributed to their colleague's death.

"I can't talk to you right now because I'm completely at a loss of words."

The mother of the other eight-year-old boy told The Chronicle that the boys had committed a shocking crime.

"I'm really saddened by the way the boys are innocently playing and running around. Clearly they seem not to appreciate the gravity of the offence they committed," said the mother only identified as MaKhumalo.

The headman, Ebiat Dube said he was in shock following the incident.

"It's shocking how boys at such a tender age are capable of killing another. I believe evil spirits are to blame for this.

"Evil spirits are now part of our lives these days and we really need to pray."

Matabeleland North police spokesperson, Inspector Siphiwe Makonese, confirmed receiving the report of the murder.

"We've received the report of the murder but can't say much at the moment as investigations are still underway." She said.